General Services Administration Wants You Federal Contracts - Essay Example

? GSA Wants You Federal Contracts Federal Contracts with GSA Electronic of contract proposals is an online method, which is the most preferred for submission of solicitations. This is because it offers security against unauthorized editing of the original document or loss of the paper solicitations. It is also a quicker way to deliver contract proposals. The electronic system of submission offers secure and interactive environment. This simplifies the whole solicitation process both for contractors and for prospective contractors from offer submission to a contract modification. The system uses the most recent digital authentication technology to allow for electronic signatures and cater for data integrity. Advantages of Electronic over Classic paper Solicitations 1. Data security The electronic process ensures that the proposals are submit exactly as the contractors write them without unnecessary modification of information. It also ensures that the proposals are delivered directly to the responsible personnel without being passed through other parties. This eliminates the possibility of alteration of the content or loss of the proposals in the process of transportation (Brian, 2003). Unlike the paper process, which is subject to many-party handling hence providing opportunities for malicious altering of data, data security is assured. Paper process entails impairing with the interactive environment since the intended information from the original source may not go the intended personnel. 2. Ease of Applying There is software that enables one to complete these proposals easily with tools providing hint on what is required from the proposal. This helps one to provide the necessary information without much struggle. The software also helps one to look for errors easily and correct them in order to forward an understandable proposal. This is because the proposal must entail clear information and hence the process becomes easier since there is no room for assumptions. To some ambiguous phrases, it is essential that drafting of all the work is done and typed manually to create ease for one to detect any errors especially when the proposal is not using a good software. In addition, there is high possibility of leaving important information since the whole process is imagined (Safari Books, 2009). This would lead to impaired communication since the solicitation while have to be returned for completion of the required information and clarification of some ambiguous phrases. 3. Fast Delivery The submitting of the proposals is done online hence it takes very little time for the proposals to reach the targeted destinations after they have been submitted. This ensures fast interaction between the contractor and the prospective contractors hence leading to faster decision making process unlike the classic paper solicitations which have to be submitted manually hence taking a lot of time to communicate. 4. Ease of reviewing After the proposals have been sent to the GSA, it may be returned for correction or clarification on matters concerning responsibility, responsiveness, scope, subcontracting plan or pricing analysis. After the proposal is reviewed and in some cases returned, the electronic system offers an easy way for editing and adding the relevant information. Editing the original proposal is easier than the paper process whereby the whole document has to be retyped in order to allow addition of information and also printed again for resubmission. 5. Economical Compared to the paper process, the electronic submission is more economical in terms of space and funds. This is because it cuts down the printing costs and unnecessary occupation of space for filing documents since the proposals are stored in their computer databases. 6. Duration of Contract There should be negotiations about the period of the contract to make sure that the period allows my company to stabilize. The process must allow the company in its operations and recover from any losses it may have incurred during the first stage of the contract. The first stage may have much struggle to offer the required services. There is also high possibility of breakdowns from the normal structured process hence making the company incur some losses for compensation of the inconveniences (Brian, 2003). Possibility of Acceptance There is a high possibility that my company will be accepted just as the major corporation since despite it being a small business, it offers quality services. This would help the General Services Administration in their roles which include transportation and office space to federal employees and developing government wide cost minimizing policies. This would be very beneficial since the cost for the services are lower compared to the major corporations, which use large aircrafts hence their cost for services remaining to be high. Since my company makes small aircrafts which are remote controlled and capable for sustaining long flights, it stands a better chance of offering the required services efficiently and hence it is likely to be accepted as the major corporations does. Being a small business, it makes the decision making process more flexible hence, during the reviewing process, some terms can be easily modified to meet the requirements of the contractors hence providing a better opportunity of arriving at an agreement easily. Major firms focus on making large aircrafts to serve a large number of customers and their services could only be acceptable in a certain time schedules. This is because sometimes they are busy serving other customers and this grants my company a big chance to be accepted because the size of my aircrafts allows the required services to be rendered effectively. In addition, my company will render the services at a lower price and in case of emergencies; we would be ready to assist since we do not have strict time schedules, like the other corporations. The General Services Association has programs for helping the small business to grow and open up to the large society and hence this offers my company a better chance of being accepted since it is a small business and benefit from the programs. Negotiations during Contract Awarding After the acceptance of the solicitations, negotiations would be in terms of pricing, scope of the services, responsibility and discounts. 1. Pricing The pricing of the services rendered should be fair and allowing a certain level of profit to my company. It should allow catering for emergencies and at the same time ensuring that it is within the acceptable limits of the General Services Association. A clear definition on the duration and process of payment should be provided to avoid unnecessary delays and an explanation about who bares the cost of payment in case it is not made in time. The mode of payment should be defined. If that payment is done by cheque, they should clearly define the time of collecting the cheques considering the maturation time to ensure that the whole process does not lead to exceeding of the period between which the money gets into my company’s account. 2. Scope This should state the services to be rendered and the ones, which the payment has been agreed upon. It would also define the limit of destinations within which the services should be rendered including the time schedules. It should also provide the fate of my company in case the services are delayed and provide a clear agreement on the measures to be taken in case the GSA has an emergency, which requires my company to offer extra services from the ones agreed upon. 3. Responsibility Here negotiations would be made to boost the trust of GSA to my company in offering quality services. Though my company is a small business and there could be doubts on whether it would be able to offer services within the agreed terms, I would negotiate towards clearing the doubt and proving to them that the company is capable of offering the required services. There would also be discussions about who measures are to be taken in case the my company at some time fail to respond to work given within the specified time frame and due to that deviated the operations of GSA from the normal running process. I would also assure them that my company would be able to cater any expenses, which might be incurred maybe in seeking assistance from another company if we are not able to render the required services. 4. Discounts These are the extra services, which my company would offer in addition to the agreed ones and those, which will not be charged. The General Services Association’s representative should provide a list of the most preferred services to be rendered as a bonus and my company chooses from the list the ones, which we will be satisfied to offer. These services should not cost the company much to avoid incurring losses and should not be guaranteed since at some circumstances, the company might not be in a position to render the extra services and hence they should only be offered in times of normal running of the company’s operations. Determining class of customers to GSA My company lies among the most favored customers with GSA and this will be very beneficial to the company because through the Multiple Award Schedules, GSA will increase the contracting opportunities for my company and assist in ordering activities to achieve and even exceed our socioeconomic goals (White, 2007). Through the Office of Small Business Utilization, my company will be connected to helpful people and programs that will enhance growing of our skills. It will also help the company to reach key contracting experts that will help in navigation of procurement process. The company will also benefit from provisions such as procurement networking sessions, the marketing strategies and techniques workshops, electronic data interchange training sessions and also trade missions and procurement conferences. It will also be provided savings, flexibility and choice, shorter lead-time, transparency, control of procurement, lower administrative costs and reduced inventories. Similarities and Differences between Advantages of Contract administration and Management Similarities 1. Both contract administration and management involve evaluation of specification against contract performance and contract maintenance and identification of contract changes or variations. 2. They also achieve the value of money, financial control and cost monitoring within the agreement. 3. They both lead to improved quality of service and customer focus through contract performance reporting. Contrast 1. Unlike contract administration, management the roles and responsibilities of contract manager, contractors and end users. 2. Contract management would lead to more favorable contract outcomes than administration. Marketing Methods used to Market to the Federal Government There are several methods which can be adopted to market to the federal government which include; 1. Through GSA Schedules Federal Supply Schedules is a program that is open to all qualified businesses and allows one to sell to any agency of the federal government and other organization, which include state and local government under some specified conditions. Though it requires efforts to get a GSA Schedule, once acquired it eliminates contracting hurdle and ensures a proper way of marketing (Brian, 2003). 2. Prime Contractors Prime contractors have federal clients and require subcontract to small businesses and hence they may help many firms entering the market. The firms sell their unique products to the prime contractors hence raising their chance to get close to the lucrative market. 3. Open procurements They are lengthy and complex solicitations. They advertise businesses to make them popular to agencies and hence provide a greater chance of opening up to the large society and to the federal governments since marketing of all goods and services rendered. 4. Simplified Acquisition Process Here agencies are supposed to restrict competition to small businesses. It is a good method to market to the federal government since the paperwork that is required from the proposing vendor is even simpler than the ordinary public bids. 5. Micro-purchase A method is used by small businesses where agencies can buy from the small firms using their government purchase cards without competition. This hence exposes the firms to the federal government acting as a good marketing method. Conclusion For my company, I would prefer marketing through GSA schedules, through the prime contractors and through simplified acquisition process since they are good methods for small business and easily expose the businesses to the federal governments hence offering a better chance of expansion. The quality of services to be rendered to the GSA should high enough since it is a governmental body where different activities are planned to take place under strict periods and any delays could lead to major inconveniences. After expiry of the contract, my company would consider reviewing some terms that did not work well in the terminated contract before signing another contract with the same organization or a different one. References Brian, B., (2003). Contracts: Cases, Discussions and Problems. New York: Aspen Publishers. Safari Books., (2009). Federal Supply Schedule. Washington: Safari Publishers. White, R., (2007). Schedules: The Shortest Path to Federal Dollars. 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